After the Goanet Admin team announced in its wisdom its decision to partially close the discussion on the Ribandar Church molestation case, two posts have filtered through. It would be unfortunate if partially closed would mean to allow only posts that favour the accused priest.
As reference is made to me directly I wish to clarify some of the points that have been made by the two fellow netters and I hope the Admin team is fair enough in not blocking this post. Regarding the post by Avelino D' Souza form Kuwait, I agree that the Ribandar issue is getting complicated by the day. If you are able to speak to any Ribandarite in Kuwait you will get the real picture. Nobody believes that they can judge and condemn the accused on this forum. You are right that the victim and the mother are not interested in pursuing the case. We need to know why they have made a volte-face. It is clear that they are doing so under severe pressure from the Church. Months after themselves filing the complaint they have tried to withdraw the complaint but these offences are not compoundable or cannot be compromised alike a property dispute. This the victim and the mother have been told by the police. Above all an offence against a minor cannot be withdrawn by anyone. It has to be resolved by the Courts. This safeguard has been incorporated in our legal system. Otherwise everyone committing a crime would use pressure and high-handed tactics to use monetary and other pressures to go scot free. . Avelino D' Souza all says that the people of Ribandar should get together and look at the possibility of apology from accused. We had sought the intervention of Goa's Archbishop in the matter. But the Bishop has chosen to be silent and allowed the matter to drag on. There is no obsession with the case. An offence against a child in particular is very serious. We should not wait till it happens to our own kin. Regarding the points raised by Salus Correia I could reassure him that throughout I have given sheer facts and developments as they have evolved. At no point have I used Goanet for my personal ends. Why should I. Salus may feel sick reading about this saga. Truth is sometimes sickening. Joel's news clippings are from Goa's three English newspapers. The powerful and mighty church has been able to blank this issue from these papers since long. So Joel is not to be blamed. It is only the local Konkani and Marathi newspapers and some of the national English dailies that have had the spine and courage to highlight the issue. In closing the thread on this issue I don't understand as to how the Goanet Admin team has come to a conclusion that MOST of our fellow netters are tired of hearing about the Ribandar case. And we have not been told what PARTIAL CLOSING means. The case is yet to begin. The proceedings of the main case will start only when the chargesheet is filed. Aires Rodrigues Ribandar
